Field of the Invention and Description of Related Arts
This invention relates to an endoscope system having a switch forcibly set to display such video signals not passed through outer peripheral apparatus as record endoscope picture images.
Recently, endoscopes have come to be extensively used in the medical and industrial fields. Other electronic endoscopes having imaging means built-in than the conventional optical endoscopes have also come to be extensively used.
In the case of the electronic endoscope, an endoscope system using a signal processing apparatus processing signals for an imaging means other than the light source device used in the case of the optical endoscope and producing video signals and a displaying means displaying video signals produced by this signal processing apparatus is used for an endoscopic examination or diagnosis.
This endoscope system or endoscope apparatus is connected with such outer peripheral apparatus or outer apparatus as a recording and reproducing apparatus recording and reproducing video signals corresponding to the endoscope picture images and is utilized to record picture images or reproduce recorded video signals or is connected with a filing apparatus, is made a data base and is made an apparatus formation or system formation so as to be able to be more effectively utilized for the diagnosis and therapy in some case.
For example, in the first prior reference disclosed in the publication of Japanese patent application laid open No. 214333/1989, in an apparatus wherein an analogue output obtained from a solid state imaging device is A/D converted, is variously digital-processed, is then D/A converted and is displayed in a monitor, in case said digital processing part is abnormal, said digital processing part will be bypassed and said analogue output will be displayed in a monitor.
In the second prior reference disclosed in the publication of Japanese patent application laid open No. 142036/1994, in an endoscope concentrating system wherein such devices as a video processor, scope, light source device, high frequency knife and hemostatic device are controlled by one host controller through respective interfaces (I/F), in case said host controller runs abruptly, an abruptly running sensing circuit will sense said abrupt running and a message urging the user to push a resetting switch resetting the operation of said host controller will be displayed on an observing monitor which the user will be seeing.
When said resetting switch is pushed, until said host controller returns to be normal, said respective connected devices will not be able to be controlled but said endoscope observed picture images will be secured.
For example, in case a filing apparatus as an outer peripheral apparatus is connected with the signal processing device and a video signal processed such as adjusted in the picture quality is output in a displaying means through this filing apparatus, when this filing apparatus is somewhat abnormal such as the computer forming the filing apparatus runs abruptly, in order to return the filing apparatus to be normal, there will be problems that the outer filing apparatus itself will have to be reset, the resetting will have to be remade and not a little time will be taken until the apparatus is returned.
When an endoscope picture image is observed, that is, at the time of a clinical operation, it will be desirable to return the endoscope picture image to be normal as quickly as possible so as to be observable. Often, when the scope is inserted, the patient will feel unpleasant and painful not a little. Therefore, anyhow, it is not desirable that the endoscope observation is interrupted even for a little time.
In such system formation as in the second prior reference, a video signal having been passed through a filing apparatus for processing signals is not displayed for the output signal of the video processor as a signal processing apparatus and therefore said problems will not be solved.
Even in case said host controller is assumed to form a filing apparatus, as the video processor is connected with the host controller through an I/F and a picture quality adjustment or the like is set, when the host controller becomes abnormal, the set values of said respective picture quality adjustments will be also likely to be abnormally set. In case thus the set values are abnormally set, even if the video signal of the video processor is displayed, the picture image will be difficult to distinguish in some case. Unless the video signal put out of the signal processing apparatus independently of the filing apparatus or host controller in an abnormal state can be displayed by a displaying means, said problems will not be able to be solved.
In another background, according to a hospital, one video processor is used by many doctors in some case.
In such case, some doctor will be likely to set for himself said respective picture quality adjustments. In case another doctor is to begin the observation in this state as it is, what setting should be made will be likely to be unknown. It is desirable to be able to cope with this problem. That is to say, in such case, too, an endoscope system will be desired to be able to quickly display in a set state a reference picture quality or the like.
In the first prior reference, the abnormality (of the digital part) within the body apparatus is detected and the process of the digital part is only bypassed and the relation with the outer connected apparatus or outer device is not reset at all. Therefore, said trouble can not be solved.